Saying Goodbye to My Best Friend
by Kristen3
Summary: Sequel to my "You're Not Alone" and leighann415's "Celebrating Life." Six months after Rhoda's cancer diagnosis, Mary is faced with an unimaginable loss. Luckily, she is still surrounded by friends. On-going tribute to the lovely Valerie Harper!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Like everyone else, I was devastated by Valerie Harper's passing. I wasn't sure if I could even do a tribute, but then I remembered I actually did a story back when we first found out she was sick. After that, the story almost wrote itself. It's not a one-shot, but I don't plan to make it TOO long! Enjoy!

Mary still couldn't believe it had happened. Was it really just six months ago that Rhoda had called with the terrible news that she had terminal cancer? When her friend's disease progressed, Mary made sure Rhoda went into the hospital right away and was given the very best medical care possible. She took several months off from her job. The news was always very important to Mary, but it could never be more important than her best friend's life.

They had spent the last several months looking at old photo albums and reminiscing. Rhoda always insisted that the years they'd spent as neighbors were not always as pleasant as Mary remembered them. There were a lot of laughs, but also more than a few tears. No matter what, Mary was grateful they'd had that time to say all the things they'd always meant to say. Mary ran up a huge long-distance phone bill, keeping Lou, Murray and Georgette aware of Rhoda's prognosis. When Rhoda was first diagnosed, they'd all flown in for a party in their friend's honor. But, since then, life got in the way, and they weren't able to visit again.

Mary knew that would change soon, though. One night, after she went home to get some much-needed rest, she got the dreaded call from the hospital. Rhoda was gone. It was hard to wrap her mind around the idea that her friend, who had kept her sense of humor till the end, had died. It didn't matter if Mary could believe it or not. It was true, and that meant Mary had some calls to make. The first was to Brenda. Rhoda's younger sister was now the last remaining member of the Morgenstern family. Mary had always loved Rhoda's family, especially her parents. She was always treated like a member of the family, no matter the differences. Mary took a deep breath as she dialed the New York phone number.

"Hello?" Brenda was half-asleep when the phone rang.

"Hi, Brenda? It's Mary. I'm afraid I have some bad news….."

Suddenly, Brenda was wide awake, even if she wasn't sure her heart was beating. "Oh, no….."

Mary nodded out of habit. It didn't matter if Brenda couldn't see her. "It happened last night right after I left the hospital. I hadn't slept in two days, and the nurses ordered me to go. But I still keep wondering if I could've done something….."

"No," Brenda said. "Don't do that to yourself. My sister wouldn't want you to."

Mary took comfort in the words, knowing Brenda was right. "You're right. What's done is done. Now, since I'm out here in Minneapolis, I thought it would be easier to have the memorial here. Is that OK? Because we can do it in New York if you'd rather. I know she made friends after she moved back."

"I wouldn't know how to do something like that. Rhoda was a lot smarter than me in a lot of ways. She loved you and the years she spent out there. I can call some of her friends and see if they can come out. I don't think Susie will make it. She's got about twenty grandchildren by now!" Brenda couldn't help chuckling. Her sister's friend seemed to be perpetually pregnant. "I'll fly out there even if no one else comes. You just tell me when and where."

Mary nodded. "OK. I've got a few more calls to make. I'll get back to you." After another minute or two of small talk, they hung up. She sighed, hating to be the one to share this awful news. But she knew she had to. At least Murray and Mr. Grant would do all they could to comfort her.

With another deep breath, Mary picked up the phone once more. As she did, she couldn't help remembering all the times she'd gone into Lou's office at WJM. No matter what was going on in her life, she always felt safe there. What she wouldn't give to have that back. The phone rang, and she heard a groggy, "Hello?"

"Mr. Grant…?" Suddenly, she felt herself begin to stammer, an old habit whenever she got emotional. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Mary?" Lou felt his mind begin to clear. From the tone of her voice, he had a pretty good idea why she was calling. "Oh, no. Rhoda didn't get worse, did she?"

"No, she's not worse. She's….gone."

Lou was stunned. He'd heard the words, but they didn't make sense. He almost wanted to ask, "Gone where," but he already knew the answer. "Oh, no."

"Yes," Mary said. "It happened when I went home to get some sleep. Brenda said I shouldn't blame myself, but….."

"This is not your fault, Mary." Lou's voice took on the stern tone he often used around the newsroom. "You were by Rhoda's side every step of the way. Sometimes things just happen, and there's nothing anyone can do. Remember Chuckles?"

The memory flashed in Mary's mind. An elephant had taken the life of WJM's kiddie show host. His demise was met with jokes, much to Mary's displeasure. But, at his funeral, Mary began to laugh. She'd shoved that embarrassing memory away for decades. Apparently, it had never really disappeared. "I'd forgotten that."

"Well, I haven't. I know Rhoda was your best friend. This is tough; I get it. But you can't torture yourself. You _know_ that's not what Rhoda would want."

"That's the same thing Brenda said. She's flying out here for a memorial. Can you make it?"

"For Rhoda? Absolutely."

Somehow, Mary felt just a little less hopeless. Just like always, her former boss knew just what to say.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **I thought this was going to be a two-chapter story, but it's actually going to be 3! Hope no one minds! :)

After talking to Lou, Mary felt just a bit stronger. She decided to focus on planning Rhoda's memorial. She approached it the same way she handled an interview at work. That way, she didn't have to think about the fact that her best friend in the world was gone.

Once everything was set, the sadness came back in full force. She cried a flood of tears. When her eyes were finally dry, she called and gave Brenda the details. That left just one more thing to do: call Murray and tell him the awful news.

Mary stared at the phone, not wanting to make this call. Murray was like the brother she'd never had. His jokes were often the only thing that made working in the newsroom bearable. But she knew there was no joke in the world that would make this situation any better. Putting off making this call wouldn't make it any easier. So, after drying her eyes one more time, Mary picked up the phone. He answered on the second ring. "Murray?"

Murray smiled at the familiar voice. "Marie and I were wondering when you'd call."

"You were?" Mary asked, confused.

"Lou called me yesterday. I can't even believe it."

"Neither can I," Mary admitted. "Rhoda's sister and Mr. Grant are coming out here. Do you think you can make it?" She bit her lip nervously. Murray had a wife and family. He might not make it, but she felt the need to ask him anyway.

"Marie and I were talking, and she thinks I should go. Marie is helping with our grandchildren, but of course I'll come."

"Good. It'll be nice to see you again." _Even if the circumstances are awful_, she mentally added.

"I've missed you," Murray admitted. Although he and Marie were as happily married as ever, he could never forget the feelings he still had for his former coworker. "And I miss Rhoda. Remember when she won the beauty contest?"

The memory came back to Mary in a flash. "She couldn't see herself the way we all saw her." Rhoda had used her trademark humor to cover her insecurities.

Murray sensed that Mary's emotions were beginning to get the better of her. "This has been rough on you, hasn't it?"

"A little," Mary admitted.

"You'll get through this. You always do."

Somehow, Murray's words were just what Mary had been needing. "Thank you." There was an awkward pause.

"How did Georgette take the news?" Murray suddenly asked.

"Oh, my God! I totally forgot about her!" Mary couldn't believe it. Ted Baxter's widow had been a friend of Rhoda's before she even met Mary.

"Mary, you've got to call her," Murray said.

"I know," Mary said. "I just don't know if I can. I've already had to tell Brenda and Mr. Grant. Now Georgette. She'll probably break down."

"That's very possible," Murray agreed. "But she should know. And I'm sure you'll comfort her. That's what you do. Any time one of us had a problem, you were right there. I can't thank you enough for that."

Mary found herself wiping tears once again, but these had nothing to do with her friend's passing. "Thanks, Murr. I feel the same way about you."

For a moment, Murray couldn't help remembering the night he'd confessed his feelings to her. She admitted that she loved him, too, but only in the most platonic way possible. There was no use in reliving the past. "Listen, before the memorial, if you need to talk..."

"Thanks again, Murr. For everything."

Murray wanted to tell Mary how he felt, but somehow, he could tell she already knew.


	3. Chapter 3

After hanging up with Murray, Mary knew she had no choice. Georgette had always been one of Mary's closest girlfriends. That became particularly true once Rhoda had moved back to New York. There was no doubt that Rhoda would want Georgette at her memorial. Still, it didn't make this any easier. "Oh, Rhoda, I wish you were here." Mary whispered the words to herself, then chuckled, realizing that if Rhoda _were _here, she wouldn't have to make this call. "I know, I know, I just have to do it." She could practically hear Rhoda's voice. "Kid…."

Mary shook her head, wanting to clear her mind. Then, with one last deep breath, she dialed the number. Mary's heart pounded as the phone rang. It felt so odd to be this nervous about calling someone who'd once been such a close friend. A lot had changed since she and her coworkers were fired.

"Hello?" Mary heard a familiar soft voice.

"Hi, Georgette. It's Mary."

"Oh, Mary!" Georgette smiled automatically. Even though she and Mary didn't call or visit as often as they used to, Mary was never far from Georgette's mind. "How are you?"

The excitement Mary heard in her friend's voice broke her heart. How could she destroy a person like this? Georgette was sweetness personified. But she thought of Rhoda. Not once had Rhoda held back an opinion. Any of the conversations they had had with Phyllis certainly were proof of that! "Well, I guess you could say I've seen better days." Mary forced a laugh.

"Oh." Georgette hadn't expected to hear that. She knew Mary was busy taking care of Rhoda, but no matter how grim the prognosis was, Mary had remained her usual optimistic self. "What's wrong, Mary?"

"There's really no easy way to tell you this. Believe me, if there were, I'd have found it. Rhoda passed away the other night. I wasn't at the hospital. The nurses made me go home. I hadn't slept, and…."

"Mary, are you thinking this was your fault? That's impossible! Don't you remember telling me that same thing when Ted died?"

"Yes, but this is different. I was the only family she had out here. Maybe she should've gone back to New York. At least there, Brenda could've taken care of her. She'd probably have done a better job. She's younger, you know."

"You can't torture yourself like this, Mary. Rhoda was your best friend, and I know you did everything you could. She appreciated it, even if she couldn't tell you."

"I know you're right. Everyone's been telling me that. I just don't know what to do without her."

"You'll keep living." Georgette didn't hesitate. She knew all too well how hard it was to recover from a loss like this. But she'd had David and Mary Lou. They made sure she was all right after their father had passed away. Mary didn't have a husband _or_ children. "I know you miss Rhoda. I do too. You know, I never really thanked her. It was at that going-away party for her that I met Ted, remember?"

Mary nodded, smiling a bit despite herself. She could still clearly recall how smitten her new friend had been. From then on, neither of their lives had been the same. "Yeah, I remember. I almost thought I was going to lose Rhoda that night, too." Thankfully, Rhoda hadn't really moved away until about a year later. Mary hadn't thought of any of this in years.

"See, Mary? Rhoda's gone, but that doesn't mean you have to forget her. I know it doesn't seem possible right now, but I promise, it will get better."

Suddenly, Mary remembered the thousands of conversations she and Rhoda had had about their boyfriends, or lack thereof. They had taken turns saying those very words to each other. It had proven true each time. Even after Rhoda and Joe's divorce, Rhoda's life did eventually get better. Maybe, just maybe, it would be the same for her now. If she could survive the memorial, that is.


	4. Chapter 4

Although Mary was still in a fog, it seemed like the day before the memorial arrived before she knew it. She insisted on picking Brenda up at the airport. It seemed the least she could do under the circumstances. Mary also refused to allow Brenda to stay at a hotel. She was glad to have the company, at least.

When Brenda stepped off the plane, she immediately saw Mary waiting for her, and the two hugged. It was hardly a joyful reunion. For one thing, they hadn't seen each other since shortly after Rhoda's wedding. For another, neither was in a very happy mood.

Mary recognized the sadness she saw in Brenda's face. It perfectly matched how she felt. "So, none of your friends could make it?"

Brenda shook her head. "I really didn't think they would. To tell you the truth, I was practically the only person Rhoda kept in touch with the past few years."

Hearing that only added to Mary's feelings. How could she not have known Rhoda didn't have anyone left in New York, aside from her sister? But she refused to dwell on that. "Well, I called a few of my former coworkers from the newsroom. They were friends of Rhoda's, too, and they're coming. We haven't really seen each other much."

Brenda nodded. It was a sad reason to reunite, but it was something.

Mary drove them back to her apartment. She'd moved several times since the high-rise she'd lived in when she and her coworkers were fired. This place was nice, but she did miss her first apartment, the one she'd lived in when she and Rhoda were neighbors. "Well, this is it."

Brenda looked around. She remembered her sister talking about how organized Mary was, and now Brenda could see Rhoda was right. But the place was nice. She looked at Mary, unsure of what to say.

Mary saw that Brenda didn't know what to say. "It's OK," she whispered. Impulsively, she hugged Rhoda's younger sister. "I know it's not easy, but the memorial will help. My friends knew Rhoda, and they really liked her. They'll tell some stories about some of the things that happened while she was out here. You might even end up laughing a little." Mary smiled, hoping she could help lift Brenda's sadness.

Brenda couldn't imagine laughing. Her sister was gone. How could that ever be funny?

Mary told Brenda to make herself comfortable. It wasn't hard to see why Rhoda had felt a connection to Mary. The next day, Mary's former coworkers were coming over for the memorial. It was odd to think that these people, who were strangers to Brenda, could have known her sister so well.

Brenda stood there, awkwardly, as Mary answered the door. Almost immediately, she was swept up into a hug. They stayed like that for a long moment. Then Mary let go of the much-older man. "Brenda," she said, introducing him. "This is Lou Grant. My first boss in the news business. I wouldn't be where I am today without him."

Lou looked at the floor in embarrassment. Mary always gave him too much credit for her success. He'd only played a tiny part. But he was always amazed at how far she'd come from that fateful job interview. He pushed the memories aside as he offered Brenda his hand. "I remember Rhoda being at most of Mary's parties…..all of them were disasters!" Lou gave Mary a teasing glance.

"Oh, come on! They weren't _that_ bad," Mary said in mock protest. But she couldn't deny the truth. "OK, maybe they were."

Brenda smiled awkwardly. She didn't know what to say. "I guess I really don't know much about my sister's life out here. She visited us a few times, but she never liked to talk about it."

"Then you're in luck," Mary said. "You'll probably learn a lot today."

Brenda hoped so. This whole trip was surreal. She'd talked to Mary on the phone a few times over the past few months, but that was it. Now here she was, staying in Mary's home and feeling like an outsider among those who'd gathered to remember her sister.

The doorbell rang again. Mary answered it, and was immediately embraced. When Murray let her go, he could not help kissing her cheek. "You look good."

Mary rolled her eyes. "My eyes are probably still red from all the crying. There's no way I could look good!"

Murray waved his hand dismissively. Mary was always much too humble. "You know that's not true. At least, not to me."

Touched by his comment, Mary hugged him once again. Then she brought him into the house. "This is Rhoda's younger sister, Brenda."

Murray nodded, vaguely remembering her from Rhoda and Joe's wedding. "I bet this has been hard on you. But I loved Rhoda almost as much as Mary did. We even joined a group to lose weight together."

"That's right!" Suddenly, Mary recalled that time. "That was when she won the beauty contest."

"Wait, my sister won a _beauty contest_?" Brenda couldn't believe she'd never heard of this before.

"Well, it was just a small thing at the store where she worked," Mary explained. "But it finally got her to realize how attractive she was. She always had trouble seeing herself the way we did."

"Now, _that_ I remember." Brenda had inherited a lot of the same insecurities as her sister. Only she'd never had a friend like Mary to help her through it.

Mary squeezed Brenda's hand, realizing at that moment just how alike the two sisters had been. Before she could say another word, there was a soft knock at the door. Mary opened it to find Georgette standing there.

Georgette readily accepted Mary's embrace. "I can't believe she's gone," she whispered.

"None of us can," Mary said. "It doesn't seem possible."

"You know, I went through this same thing when Ted died," Georgette said. "Eventually, I just had to face the fact that he was gone. It wasn't easy, but I did it."

Mary sensed that Georgette meant what she was saying, and it made her feel that maybe the same would happen to her someday. But she couldn't think about that now.

Just then, Georgette seemed to notice Brenda. "You must be Rhoda's sister."

Brenda nodded. She had no idea what to say to yet another of Rhoda's friends she didn't know.

"I wish I'd thanked Rhoda while I had the chance. When she almost moved back to New York, Mary invited me to her going-away party, and that's how I met Ted."

Murray sensed that Brenda was confused. "Ted was the anchorman at our TV station. He wasn't great with words, but…..well, he was certainly hard to forget." He laughed, thinking of the countless times he'd put Ted down.

"I could never forget him," Georgette said. "I see him every time I look at Mary Lou. And even David remembers how Ted tried to be a father to him." She could see how Mary and the others remembered how David's being a genius wasn't easy on Ted, but eventually he'd learned that his son needed limits like any other child.

"I know Ted wasn't perfect, but he did love you," Mary said to Georgette.

"Rhoda loved you, too, Mary." Georgette said the words with no hesitation.

"I know," Mary whispered. "I just don't know if she knew I loved her."

"Come on, Mary. You don't think Rhoda knew that?" Lou shook his head in disbelief. "You were her best friend. Of course she knew!"

Mary gave Lou a one-armed hug. As always, he knew just what to say.

Suddenly, Brenda began to realize that she knew her sister a bit better than she had before. "She did know," she said, to her own surprise.

"Don't you think all that time you spent at the hospital meant something?" Murray asked. "You're the nicest person I've ever met. How could Rhoda _not _have known?"

Mary looked around at all these people who loved her. As much as she missed Rhoda, she felt just a little better knowing she wasn't alone. How could she be, when she was surrounded by family?

**The End**


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